Colorimetric apparatus



Sept. 7, 1943. "R. s. ESTEY COLORIMETRIC APPARATUS Filed Sept. '14, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ROGER 5. 5 75v 1 ATTORNEY Sept. 7, 1943. R. s. ESTEY I 2328,63]

COLORIMETRIC APPARATUS Filed Sept. 14, 1940 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN'VENTOR E0652 5. 5 75 Y KEY ww ATTOR Y Patented Sept. 7 19 43 GOLORIMETRIC arrnm ros Roger S. Estey, Bufialo, N. Y.,. assignor to Spencer- Lens Company, Bufialo, N. Y., a corporation of NewYork Application September 14;.19410, Serial No. 356,775

3 Claims. (Cl; V

This invention relates to colorimetric apparatus and more particularly to'a combined haemoglo binometer and micro-colorimeten I An object of the invention is to provide a colorimetric instrument which requires only asmall amount of the specimen for comparing the color of said specimen with a standard or with other colored substances. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the type set forth which will be sim ple and efiicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an optical system in which a single structural element serves a plurality of functions thereby achieving economy and simplicity of structure.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent'from the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. It will be'understood that many changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without de-' parting from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims. I therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact details shown and described as the preferred form has been shown by way of illustration only.

Referring to the drawings: 7

Fig. 1 is a side view'partially in section showing the construction of the instrument;

Fig. 2 is a front view also partially in section of the construction shown in Fig. 1; I Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on line 33 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig.2

showing the cup operating mechanism; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View showing the indicating device. I h

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the device comprises a casing I having a base portion 2 containing the lamp 3. At the upper end of the casing l is the eyepiece 4 and biprism 5 which are in optical alignment with the plungers 6 and I and cups 8 and 9.

The base portion 2 is separated from the main casing I by the cover II having the openings I2 and I3 adapted to allow light from the lamp or light source 3 to pass therethrough and through said cups 8 and 9. Each of theopenings I I2 and I3 isin alignment with one of the cup members 8 and 9 respectively. Surrounding the openings I2 and I3 and to prevent loss of light lamp 3 in the base 2 is the light reflector and restrictor I4. The purpose of this member I4 is to reflect the light from the lamp 3 through the due to the size of the casing.

The lamp 3 is secured in the'socket I5 which socket-has the extension I6 extendingthrough a slotll i'nthe side I8 of the base 2 of the 'casing and a threaded knob l9'is threaded onto the end of said extension member 16 which projects through said slot H. The extension member l6 has a shoulder adapted to abut the member I8 surrounding the slot I! and the knob [9 also has a similarshoulderadapted toabut the outer, side offsaid'member lii surrounding said slot I! so that .byloo'sening the knob I}! on'the threaded extension of the member l6, the lamp'may be moved to adjusted position and then looked in said adjusted position by tightening the knob I9. The lamp is adapted to receive current through thelwires 2!] from the usual current supply. j "Thegeyepiece '4 contains the, ocular lens In which isadjustable in the usual manner to fit the requirementsof the particular. user of the in strumenty. The said eyepiecefalso contains the I usual fiel "The biprism. 5 is adapted to be retained in position by;the collar 2|, which is secured in positionby the screws 22.

The plungers 6 and 1 are formed of glass or a. transparent plastic, material such as Lucite, methyl-methacrylate. .Catalin, or the like, and. are secured at their upper ends to the holder 23 through the sellers 2.4 Whichare secured to the member 23 and the member 23 is then secured to the casing I by the screws 25 orthe like.

It will be noted thatthe cups 8 and 9 are secured into positionwith their upper endsconverging and the plungers 6 and (Ea-re secured in fixed relation with the casing I atthe same angle d diaphragm 35 and eye point diaphragm so that when the cups 8 and 9 are movedre'laftive to said plungers Sand 1 they willi always be in aligned relationtherewith.

The incident surface 31 0f the biprism 5 is so positioned in cooperation with the emergent surfaces 38 and 39 that rays from the plungers 6 and 1 are rendered paralleland are bent forwardly along the axis of the eyepiece}.

The dial 26. carries suitab designations and is adapted to cooperate with the indicator 2! on the casing I from which the result of the test may be read. To the dial 26 is attached the shaft 28 which projects through the bearing .40 and adjafcent its inner end is secured the gear 29." The cup inemberst and?!) are socketed at their lower ends ih the supports 30 and 3| respectively.

These supports 30 and 3I are threaded into the arms 33 which in turn are attached to the rack members 32. The thread connection permits slight longitudinal adjustment of the position of the cups 8 and 9, thereby controlling the a relationship between the positions of these cups its respective plunger 6 or I, that is, while. one plunger enters its cup the other plungeris simultaneously withdrawn from its cup to the-seine extent, and vice versa. T

The light from the light source is reflected upwardly through the openings l2 and I3 by therefiectllr I l and then passes through the cups" 8'",

and '9' which are formed of a transparentmaterial and then through the transparent plungers 6 and i into the biprism 5 andifrom thereis directed intothe eyepiece 4 where it is seen by the observen- The observer sees a circulafiiield c,entrallydivided into. -two portions which may ormay not diifenin color. If they differ in color the dialis turned and therelative positions of the cups changed until the two halves oi the field appear the same in color and the dividing line substantially. disappears.

Inuse ofthe instrument the unknown solution is placed in -aparticular one of the cups 8 or 9 and a known standard solution or other solution with which theunknown solution is to be compared is placed in the other. of said cups v8 or 9. The dial26 is then turned to change the relative positions oi the cups 8 or 9 with'respect to their respective. plungers 6 orluntil thetwo halves of the circular field seen in the eyepiece appear to, be identical in color and the line sepa-,

mangan se "fields substantially disappears, and

their the reading is taken on the dial 26.

trimmer 26! carries two independent-scales 42 and 13'. one ofthese scales 42 expresses the ratiobetween the working depths of the fluids injth e cu sa'ana- 9 for anyfposition of the dial 26. This scale 42 may be expressedby the f ormula f f where ais the'anglezirom the zero mark of scale 42 on dia126 to anyscale mark having thenumerical designation, represented by S, .andis adapted to recordjjthe concentration of coloring mattenin one cup'as related to'the concentration of colo'ri matter in the other. H v w 'l he'seconjdgscale'fi on dial 26 is a measureof the workingjdepth of the fluid in one cup with: out regard to the behavior of the other cup. This scale is expressed by the formula x constant R r where ;istheangle from the zero mark of scale asthma-1 26 to any scale mark having the numerical designation represented by Rfand serves tomeasure the color of substances by comparison with color standards of fixed thickness mounted in the cup [support usually occupied by the cupv notcontaining ,thesample being measured. For example this latter scale 43 may be used in con nection' with a suitably calibrated glass color standardltofmeasure directly the haemo fi'obin content'o fca blood sample whichhas. been; con

V and plunger members, a pinion in verted to acid hematin by well known chemical procedures.

It will be apparent that due to the construction the cups 8 and 9 may be made small enough to allow the testing of specimens of which only a. small amount can be obtained such as blood, etc.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided simple, efficient and economical means forobtaining all of the adyantages, namely, for providing a new and improved construction of combined haemoglobinometer and colorimeter --for use particularly Where only small amounts 'of'the specimen are obtainable.

Having described my invention, I claim: L Ina device of the character described, a pair of cups'and apair of plungers, each of said plungers being aligned with and adapted to enter its respective cup; and said cups and plungers having their upper ends in converging rela tion, an'eyepiece over said plungers, a single opticalelement between said plungers andeyepiece and in optical 'alignment-therewith for converging the light beams from saidplungers and directing said light into said eyepiece; a rack member for each pair of said cup and plungermembers, a pinion in engagement with-both of said rack members, and means for actuating; said pinion to adjust said rack members for re? moving one of said plungersjfrom its cup and moving the other of said plungers into its cup. simultaneously and to the same extent.

2. In a device of the character described, a pair of cups and .a pair of plungers, each of said plungers being aligned with and adapted to eilr" ter its respective cup,

and said cups and plungers havingtheir upper. ends in convergi-ng relation,

an eyepiece over said plungers, a singleioptical element in which rays from both plungers enter a common face and emer e from twoseparate faces respectively intobeams which are con-.- tiguous and parallel, between said plunger-sand. eyepiece and in optical alignment therewith for directing light fromsaid plungers into/said eyepiece, a rack member for. each paiitof said cup engagement with both of said rack members, and means for? actuating said pinion to'adjust said rack members for removing one of said plungersfrom its cup and moving the other of said plunge rs into its cup simultaneously and to the same extent; 7 3. In a device of the character described,- a base, a source of illumination in said'basef an upright onsaid base, a, pair of plunger-members having their upper ends in converging relation 1 supported on said-uprightan eyepiece, a single,

contiguous and parallel between .said plungers;

and eyepiece and in optical alignmenttherewith, for directing light fromsaid plunger-s intosaid eyepiece, a pair of rack members on said upright: and in the same converging relation as said;

plungers, acup member on each-of; said rack" members and adapted to; be moved therewith,

a pinion in engagement with both of 3 said; rack membersv and means for actuating, said pinion; for simultaneously moving said rackmembersin opposite directions to cause one of said plungers to move into its-respective-cup andto cause the] other of saidplungers to move out of its respective cup simultaneously and tothe same ex-j tent. I

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